


Settling In

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Series: A Life Together [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-03-18 20:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13688835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: The Doctor settles into life on Bannerman Road with Sarah.





	1. Chapter 1

 Luke slowly opened the door to his mother’s bedroom, not wanting to make any noise. He opened it enough to poke his head in, and couldn’t help the little smile at the sight, partially illuminated by the incoming light from the hallway.

 Both Sarah and the Doctor were still asleep, with Sarah’s head on the Timelord’s bare shoulder and her arm draped over his middle.  The Doctor’s arm was wrapped around her back and the hand rested on her shoulder. His other hand laid over hers on his stomach. Luke could see both of their faces, happiness obvious on them.

 Just as quietly, Luke backed out and closed the door. Meeting the Doctor- this one, the one that his mother thought of as hers- yesterday was nice. To finally meet the man that Sarah always got a faraway expression when talking about him felt like a sense of closure. His initial concerns about the Doctor leaving Sarah again had been partially eased. He still didn’t know the exact reason why he had left her all those years ago, since yesterday wasn’t the time to discuss that, but it was very obvious that the Doctor had wished the circumstances had been different, and that he either never had to leave her or could’ve come back to her immediately after whatever had happened.

 Besides, his mother just looked so happy. The closest Luke had seen her to this level of happiness was when she was with Peter Dalton. Luke didn’t think on that long, knowing the terrible direction that had gone. But this… this was far deeper than that. It was completely unguarded and open.

 “Come on, K9,” he whispered to the metal dog who had followed him from his room. “I think a nice breakfast is in order.”

 

 Sarah heard the tiny click of the door closing, and unconsciously tightened her hand on the Doctor’s abdomen. “What was that?” she quietly asked, not opening her eyes.

 “Luke,” the Doctor whispered. “Probably checking to see if I whisked you away in the middle of the night,” he chuckled.

 “You might’ve, and brought me back before he could know,” Sarah joked.

 “Funny… I don’t remember doing that.”

 “Mm…” Sarah threaded her fingers through the Doctor’s on his stomach. She moved her head to his chest, smiling at the rhythm under her ear. “I’ve missed waking up with you.”

 “So have I,” the Doctor breathed before he placed a kiss to the top of the woman’s head.

 They simply snuggled in the bed for a while, until a soft knock on the door took their attention. “Yes?” Sarah called out.

 “Mum? Doctor? I made breakfast,” Luke said through the door.

 “We’ll be down in a minute,” Sarah replied. She raised her head and said to the Doctor, “Shall we?”

 Despite the lure of food, and both were hungry, it took them more than a minute to actually get out of bed, reluctant to cease the quietly intimate contact. Sarah pulled on her robe, and the Doctor put on his robe that he had brought from the Tardis.

 The dining table had already been set when Sarah and the Doctor got to it. Eggs, sausages, and pancakes were on serving plates. The aroma of coffee was a welcome one.

 “Good morning, Mistress, Master,” K9 greeted from the floor next to a chair.

 “Good morning, indeed,” the Doctor replied.

 Luke smiled a greeting and kissed his mother’s cheek before she took a seat. To the Doctor, he said, “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I hope you like what I made.”

“I’m hardly a picky eater.” The Timelord took a seat and moved some food to his plate. “And I’ve always had a taste for this kind of food.”

 Luke poured coffee mugs for all three of them, and took a seat.

 “Thank you, this is lovely,” Sarah said, squeezing her son’s shoulder before she dug in to the warm food.

 “I see he didn’t inherit your ability to make eggs spontaneously combust,” the Doctor remarked after a few bites.

 “She’s always done that?” Luke asked, a grin spreading on his face.

 “Don’t you two start with that,” Sarah groaned after swallowing some coffee.

 “Eggs were her only disastrous culinary attempts,” the Doctor added.

 Sarah raised her brow as Luke laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”  

 “So… may I see your Tardis?” Luke asked after a couple minutes. “I mean, I’ve already been in one Doctor’s, but Mum says yours looks quite different from his.”

 “Of course you may. You are certainly welcome in my Tardis.” The Doctor smiled, “Makes a nice change from the uninvited people who have been in my Tardis.” He looked down to the dog, “Including you.”

 “Affirmative, Master.” K9’s tail wagged a little. The Doctor affectionately patted his head.

 The Doctor looked back up to Luke. “Sarah is the only person I invited to join me on my travels.”

 Luke smiled and refocused on his breakfast.

 After they finished eating and clearing the table, the Doctor led the way to the attic. He hadn’t locked the Tardis door, and simply pushed it open to let the other three inside.

 Luke walked around the console room, taking it in. “The white is nice,” he nodded. “But I think I like the other Doctor’s more.”

 The Doctor’s mouth opened, and it took him a moment to respond amid Sarah’s laughter, “But this is a classic design. How different is his?”

 Luke waved his hands around in a vague motion. “More green and blue and… organic? Yeah, organic.”

 The Doctor huffed, and Luke quickly added, “But this is nice for a minimalist sort of feel.”

 “Do you still have that other console room we had for a bit?” Sarah asked. “I thought that one suited you more.”

 The Doctor nodded. “Come along, I’ll give you a bit of a tour.”

 

 They exited the Tardis a little while later, Luke appreciating seeing more of the Tardis than he’d had the opportunity to before. Sarah enjoyed it from a nostalgic perspective, and ended up taking the Doctor’s hand halfway through and not letting go until the end.

 Luke stayed with them a little longer before heading out to hang out with Clyde and Rani before he had to go back to Oxford.

 

 After a shower, Sarah and the Doctor sat on the bench in her back garden. Sarah was quiet for a little while, until the Timelord prompted, “Penny for them?”

 “I’m just thinking about how well you two gelled. I’m relieved.”

 “He’s an excellent young man. Intelligent, caring, spirited… overall wonderful. It’s easy to see where he gets it from.”

 “His intellect is more on your level.”

 “Yes… You said you found him?”

 “I suppose this is a good time to tell that story,” Sarah responded, turning and bending a leg up on the bench to face the man.

 When Sarah finished the story, the Doctor commented, “Remarkable… And it looks like finding him and meeting Maria was good for you?”

 “Oh yes… They definitely made me a little less lonely. They made me realize I didn’t have to be alone.”

 “Someone to share the wonders, and dangers, of the universe with.”

 “Exactly, though I wish there had been less of the danger part with them. They were only teens at the time.”

 “Still, it all seems to have worked out for the better.”

 “Yes… yes it has. I’ll expect you’ll be meeting Clyde more formally soon, along with Rani. I’ll have to set up a video call with Maria and Alan.”

 “I’ll be delighted to meet your friends.” The Doctor kissed Sarah softly. “Now, to change the topic completely, there were some things in your attic that looked quite interesting.”

 Sarah laughed and led him back into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

“Don’t start dismantling anything to see how it works,” Sarah teased as the Doctor started looking at the alien devices and artefacts in her attic closely. In response, the Doctor smiled and slipped the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and tossed it to her. “Smart man, removing the temptation.” Then Sarah grinned and took her sonic from her pocket. “Catch.”

 The Doctor turned back to her in time to catch it. He looked at it with a questioning expression. At Sarah’s permission to open it, he did, and grinned. “You’ve got your own sonic screwdriver? Did you make it?”

Sarah shook her head. “A gift from that future you.” She smiled. “Now if we get into trouble together, we’ll definitely have one on us.”

 The Doctor examined the sonic device for a moment longer before tossing it back to Sarah, nodding in approval.

 Sarah watched the Doctor looking through the various things in easy reach for a few minutes. Then her phone beeped from a text message. Her smiled widened at the message from Maria. _‘Alright, I’ve left you alone long enough with him without bothering you. So when do I get to meet him?’_ Sarah calculated the time difference, then answered back, _‘About midnight your time work for you?’_

 The reply came a minute later. _‘Awesome! Dad wants to meet him, too. It’s a date.’_ Sarah put her phone away and said to the Doctor, “I hope you’re up to meeting four people today. Whenever Clyde and Rani come back with Luke, then after dinner Maria and Alan.”

 The Doctor nodded. “You know me, Sarah, usually up for meeting new people. Them being your close friends is certainly a bonus.” He moved on from the alien devices to photos and papers around her work computer. He picked up one photo, a group one of Sarah and four others- Luke, Clyde, an Indian girl of the same age who he assumed was Rani or Maria, and a blonde girl obviously younger. Sarah had her arms around Luke and the younger girl, indicating a similar relationship as with Luke. “This girl is younger than the rest of them. Who is she?”

 Sarah didn’t have to see the photo to know exactly who he was talking about. Still, she went over to his side anyway to look at it. “That’s Sky,” she answered quietly. “She wasn’t… she wasn’t with me long.”

 “Another one you found?”

 “Dropped on my doorstep, actually. I took her in. We never got the same close relationship that I have with Luke, she never called me Mum, but…” Sarah closed her eyes, and her lips pressed together.

 The Doctor recognized the signs of Sarah keeping something upsetting inside. “Something happened to her?”

 “She’s… she’s gone. She made a choice someone her age should never have to make.” Sarah’s eyes opened, and her fingers touched the youngest face in the photo in the Doctor’s hand. “She… she sacrificed her life for ours… for the world.”

 The Timelord put his arm around Sarah and pulled her close. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

 “No, it’s… it was over a year ago.” Sarah let out a long and steadying breath. But that didn’t stop from slipping out, “She wasn’t the first.” She clamped her jaw shut, not wanting to actually bring up this topic, not when she was still so happy that her Doctor was here. But the mention of Sky had brought up these feelings.

 “Not the first to…?”

 Sarah couldn’t back out of the discussion now. Perhaps getting the darker times in her life out of the way now would be for the best. She took the photo from the Doctor’s hand and set it back on the shelf. “Before I met the other you in 2007, I had two friends named Josh and Natalie. Natalie was hurt by being friends with me. She was targeted, taken advantage of, used against me. Josh… he died while with me. He died for me. After that, I was determined to not let that happen again, to not let anyone near me again. I couldn’t have those things happen to other people because of me again.” She looked to another photo on the shelf, of herself, Luke, Maria, Alan, Clyde, and Rani from a couple months ago. “Lot of good that mindset did,” she chuckled. Her face straightened, and she turned to the Doctor. “My life is dangerous, mostly has been. Though, recently, it seems like activity around here has been slowing down…”

 The Doctor placed his hands on Sarah’s shoulders. “Our life usually was dangerous.” His face fell. “I’m sorry that’s followed you ever since.”

 Sarah laid her hands flat on the Doctor’s chest, and stared at one of the buttons of his shirt for a long moment. When she looked up to his face, her eyes were slightly wet. “Doctor, did you ever… with all the danger we faced, did you ever wish I hadn’t been with you?”

 The Doctor looked down between them as he thought. “Sometimes…” he started. His hands moved to hold hers on his chest, and he looked up to meet her hazel eyes with his blue ones. “Sometimes, I would be so afraid of what might happen to you, of losing you… But then, we’d make it through together, and I wouldn’t regret having you with me.” A small reassuring smile formed.

 Sarah’s attempt at it was a little watery, but still sincere. “We made it through because we’re a good team.”

 “Exactly. How could I wish you weren’t with me?” He glanced to the photo Sarah had been looking at. “You’ve got a good team here with you.”

 “We are a good team,” Sarah nodded. Her hands tightened on the edge of the Doctor’s red vest, and pulled him in. When his eyes locked on hers, she repeated, “We are a good team,” now meaning the both of them.

 The Doctor’s hand caressed Sarah’s cheek, the thumb rubbing the side of her nose. Sarah turned her face into the cool and strong touch. She closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her.

 When they broke apart, Sarah reluctantly said, “As much as I’d like to keep doing this… I am a working girl. I do need to get this article done by tonight. I should probably try to before the others come over.”

 “Being one of the top three journalists in the UK doesn’t give you any clout to be late?”

 Sarah mock-glared at him. “You don’t get to that position by being late without a good reason. Although long-lost lover returning could be an acceptable reason…”

 The Doctor smiled warmly. “I suppose I’ve kept you away from it long enough.”

 “You’re free to explore the house on your own.”

 The Timelord nodded. “First, I’m going to check the Tardis to see what the other me might’ve done to it.”

 Sarah’s eyes became wide in concern. Before she could voice it, the Doctor assured, “I won’t leave. I’ll leave the door open. She won’t take off with the door open.”

 “Sorry, I know you won’t, but-“

 “I understand. I shouldn’t be long.” The man kissed Sarah’s forehead, and her expression softened.

 “Alright,” replied Sarah. Still, she squeezed his hand before she went over to her computer.

 The Doctor watched the woman for a moment, smiling softly at her back. Then he went into the Tardis, sitting on the floor next to the console and taking off a panel to stick his head in. A sheet of paper flipped down from the opening. The Doctor grabbed it and read it, the handwriting the same as the other note on the console.

  _‘You can still travel wherever you want, but the Tardis will always return to Sarah’s attic right after you left. I didn’t do any other tinkering.’_

 The Doctor placed the paper on the floor and still poked his head in to check that his other self was honest with that. It only took him a moment to be satisfied. As he left, he picked up the paper.

 “Looks all good to me,” the Doctor announced as he stepped out of the ship.

 Sarah turned in her chair. “I expected you to take longer than that.”

 The Doctor handed her the note. Sarah grinned at the message, and remarked, “Good. You’re fine with this?”

 “Of course I am. As long as I’m with you, my Sarah.”

 Sarah slightly blushed, pleased at the possessive in front of her name.

 “How do you activate Mr Smith?”

 “Say his name, then ‘I need you.’”

 “Got it.” The Doctor went to stand in front of Xylok’s wall. “Mr Smith, I need you.” He chuckled at the music and smoke fanfare that accompanied the interface and screen coming out of the wall. He raised his brow at Sarah.

 “Indulge him. It makes him feel important,” Sarah said quietly.

 “Good afternoon, Doctor. Sarah Jane, I am important,” Mr Smith asserted.

 Sarah laughed a little, and turned back to her work.

 “What is it you needed, Doctor?” Mr Smith asked.

 “Since I’m going to live here, I’ll need to know the basics of this time and place.”

 “Could you be more specific? There is a wide range of information I could give you.”

 “Hm… Let’s start with…”

 A warm feeling spread from Sarah’s chest. The man who had asked her to run away with him to avoid being tied down to Unit was now eager to learn about living in this time and place to be with her.

 Sarah turned to watch the Timelord for a moment, and hummed to herself. “My Doctor…”


	3. Chapter 3

“So, what exactly were they doing when you walked in on them yesterday?” Rani asked Clyde as Luke pulled his car into the driveway next to Sarah’s.

 “He might be too shocked to remember,” Luke teased.

 Clyde rolled his eyes as they got out of the car. “They were definitely all romantic, touching faces and he was kissing her hand. Like this.” He took Rani’s hand and lifted it to his mouth to kiss the fingers.

 Rani smiled. “How sweet.”

 “They were definitely happy yesterday and this morning,” Luke stated, opening the door to the house.

 “Good,” Rani lowered her voice. “Sarah Jane deserves to be happy. She must’ve been so shocked when he turned up.”

 “Mum! Doctor! I’m back,” Luke called out.

 “I was shocked, walking in on that,” Clyde remarked.

 Rani swatted his shoulder. “Oh please, unless they were full-on snogging or more-“

 “I must’ve missed that bit, or maybe they did that after I left. Either way, you have to admit, Sarah Jane in a romantic situation is very unusual.”

 Sarah and the Doctor came down from the attic together. Clyde teasingly greeted, “I hope we didn’t interrupt anything?”

 Sarah shook her head. “I was just finishing up an article.” At the disbelieving expressions of the three young adults, she sighed, “I was! Minds out of the gutter, please.” 

 The Doctor smiled as he extended his hands to shake both Clyde’s and Rani’s at the same time. “Hello again, Clyde. Nice to meet you, Rani. Sarah has told me a bit about you.”

 “We’re going out for dinner. Would you two come?” Luke invited.

 “On us,” Clyde added. “Our treat.”

 “Oh, you don’t have to foot our bill,” Sarah said. “Luke’s already made us breakfast this morning, that was enough.”

 “We insist,” Rani replied.

 Sarah smiled in appreciation. “Alright, your treat. So, what’s the place?”

 “Does the guest of honor have any preferences?” Luke asked.

 It took the Doctor a second to realize they meant him. “Oh, well… “ He shrugged. “I’ve never been choosy about food.”

 “Comes with the territory of eating quite the variety of foods while travelling,” Sarah said. “You all pick, and we’ll get our things.”

 As Sarah and the Doctor went upstairs, Luke and Clyde started debating where to eat. Rani stared after the couple. “Do you notice that?” she asked the other two.

 “Notice what?” Clyde responded.

 “Their dress sense. It’s similar.” Rani grinned, “And cute.”

 “As long as they don’t do the completely matching outfits thing, yeah,” Clyde agreed.

 Sarah and the Doctor came back down a couple minutes later, both having donned knee-length jackets, the Doctor’s khaki-coloured and Sarah’s grey. The Doctor had also added a very long multicoloured scarf. “So, where are we going?” Sarah asked.

 The group separated, since neither Sarah’s or Luke’s car would comfortably fit five people.

 The Doctor opened the passenger door of Sarah’s car, and moved to get in. Sarah couldn’t help the laugh at the sound of the Doctor’s forehead colliding with the top of the doorframe. She rushed around to him to check if he was fine.

 The Timelord rubbed at a spot above one eye. “Now I’m certain it is indeed as small as it looked,” he commented before she could ask how he was.

 “Sorry,” Sarah’s voice was still tinged with amusement. “You’re too tall for your own good.”

 “This was never a problem with Bessie,” the Doctor retorted, trying again and successfully not hurting himself this time.

 Sarah got in on the driver’s side, then replied, “Bessie was an open-top car, with a canvas covering option. You can’t have that problem.”

 “Speaking of, you wouldn’t happen to have Bessie, would you?”

 Sarah started the car and followed Luke out. “Why would I have Bessie? I reckon she’s still with Unit somewhere, maybe being studied, with all those modifications you fitted her with.”

 The Doctor chuckled. “Probably. Ah well. We might have to go in and get her sometime.”

 Sarah shook her head in amusement. “I hope you didn’t mean breaking in and stealing.”

 The Doctor made a noncommittal sound, and looked back. Sarah noticed him do it a few more times, and inquired, “What is it?”

 “Oh, nothing. Just… you’ve saved the world by driving yourself and three teenagers around in this all the time?”

 “Oh, the cheek. It worked perfectly fine. Still does, since none of them are as tall as you.”

 The Doctor tried stretching his legs out in front of him. “I think you might even have the opposite of the Tardis’ dimensional transcendentalism in this.”

 “Are you questioning my vehicle choices?”

 “Only making observations.”

 “Mhm. Not that you have any room to talk, with Bessie. Seriously, bright yellow roadster…”

 

 After the headwaiter at the restaurant showed them to their table, she pulled Luke aside and asked quietly, “Are those your parents?”

 Luke started, “Yes, she’s my-“

 “Your parents are so cute, holding hands the whole time. It’s nice to see a couple so obviously in love after so long together.”

 “But he’s not my-“ Luke started as quietly, but stopped as she left.

 Menus and complimentary breadsticks were placed on the table only a few seconds after they sat.

 “I’m sure you all have a lot of questions about me,” the Doctor said as they began looking through the menu. “People usually do. Most of the time, those questions don’t get answered, or even get asked explicitly.”

 “A lot of those were directed at me, about your sanity,” Sarah laughed.

 After swallowing a piece of breadstick, Clyde asked, “How old are you?”

 Rani sighed, though she was interested in the answer, too. “Really? That’s the first thing?”

 “What? It’s a valid question.”

 “I’ve been alive a long time,” was the Doctor’s response.

 Sarah made a ‘watch this’ motion with her finger. She leaned sideways into him before inquiring, “How long have you been seven-hundred-and-fifty?”

 The Doctor thought for a moment. “Hm… I’d say… several years. Surely not for longer than fifty.”

 “That’s the best you’ll get,” Sarah said to the other three.

 “You’re that old?” Clyde’s eyes widened. “If you don’t mind me saying, you look good for your age.”

 “The other Doctors you’ve met are older,” Sarah reminded.

 “Ah, right. Weird.”

 Rani shook her head. “Sarah Jane mentioned one time when you both…”

 

 “See you later!” Clyde said, getting out of Luke’s car and waving to Sarah and the Doctor.

 “Yeah, it was great meeting you, Doctor,” said Rani. She took Clyde’s hand and they walked from Sarah’s driveway.

 “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave K9 with you?” Luke asked as he walked to the front door. He unlocked it, and said metal dog rolled to the door and greeted them.

 The Doctor kneeled down in front of K9 and patted his head. “I can survive without you, can’t I?”

 “Negative, Master.”

 “What?” The Doctor withdrew his hand.

 Sarah and Luke laughed.

 “If it had not been for this unit’s defying your order to stay in the Tardis on Pluto, you and Mistress Leela would most likely have perished-“

 “Alright, no need to go through every time you’ve helped me.” The Doctor stood and muttered, “’Negative’ indeed…” He turned to Luke. “You can keep him with you, as long as I can still talk with him.”

 Luke smiled, “Anytime.”

 The Doctor put his arm around Sarah’s back as they watched Luke and K9 drive off back to Oxford. “Does he come to visit often?”

 “Often enough,” Sarah nodded. Then she looked at her watch. “Oh, almost time for Maria and Alan. Come on.”

 They settled on the couch in the living room, with Sarah’s laptop on the coffee table. Sarah opened the video call program and pressed the call button on Maria’s name.

 The call was immediately answered, and Sarah beamed at the two faces that filled her screen.

 “Nice to see you again, Sarah Jane.” Maria’s smile was just as big as Sarah’s. Her gaze moved to the man who had his hand around Sarah’s shoulder, fingers stroking the sleeve of her shirt. “And we finally have the honor of meeting the Doctor.”

 “It’s an honor to meet Sarah’s close friends,” the Doctor responded. “I must say, you’re quite the incredible group.”

 “Certainly one word to describe us,” Alan chuckled.

 “So, you’re really Sarah Jane’s Doctor? The one she travelled with?” Maria asked. “You certainly look like you love her so much.”

 “Indeed I do,” the Timelord assured.

 “I travelled with two of him, but yes, he’s the one I think of as mine,” Sarah answered.

 “I should certainly hope you think of me as yours, instead of that other me,” the Doctor replied. He asked the two people on the screen, “You haven’t met any other of myselves, have you?”

 “Not that we know of,” Maria responded.

 There was a banging sound from behind the two of them, and something jumped into frame from the side, half tackling Alan and knocking the laptop aside. The creature looked like an alien cross of a dog and a monkey, about as big as a housecat. 

 The Doctor and Sarah exchanged concerned glances, but there didn’t seem to be any real distress from the other two. There was the sound of a struggle before Maria picked up the laptop and righted it. Alan had the creature in his arms and was petting its head soothingly.

 “Excuse me,” Alan said before getting up.

 “Sorry about that,” Maria apologized. “We had to bring her to our house. She was causing havoc at the sanctuary. She didn’t seem to be mixing well with the others there. Though she’s taken a liking to us, for some reason. We’re hoping to find who she belongs to soon.” She looked up as her dad came back, and asked, “Back in her kennel?”

 Alan nodded as he sat down. “Sorry about that. Don’t know how she got out. So, what were we talking about?”

 Sarah laughed. “How is the sanctuary going?”

 “Oh, fine,” Alan shrugged. “Nothing new since we last talked. Maria and I are much more interested in what you’re up to, now that you’ve got your Doctor with you.”

 “Sanctuary? Tell me more about that,” the Doctor prompted. “Was it Sarah’s influence?”

 “Oh yes,” Maria laughed. “We couldn’t just turn our backs on everything after moving away from her…”


	4. Chapter 4

 A couple days later, Sarah awakened to gentle kisses across her unclothed chest. She slowly opened her eyes and stifled a giggle at the attention. She couldn’t hold it in as the mouth went lower, and she finally looked down.

 All Sarah could see was a Doctor sized lump under the blanket, with some of his wild sleep-matted hair poking out from the top and tickling against her neck. “What are you doing?” she asked giddily.

 The Doctor shook the blanket from over his head to look at the woman’s face. “What does it look like?”

 Sarah couldn’t hold in a little laugh. “If you mean waking me up, you’ve done that.”

 The Doctor hummed slightly before moving up enough to capture Sarah’s lips in a kiss.

 “If you’re trying to get me hot and bothered for a morning round… I don’t know if I can after last night,” Sarah teased as they broke apart to breathe.

 “Not necessarily my intention.” The Doctor’s lips ghosted down Sarah’s jaw.

 “Oh? Then what is it?”

 “Nothing in particular… except to show my affection.”

 Sarah’s hands lightly gripped the hair around the man’s ears. “Consider it very effective.” She bit her lip. “My turn?”

 The Doctor tilted his head slightly, then shook it to release her hands from his hair, and slithered back down under the blanket.

 “Oi, don’t be so greedy,” Sarah said through giggles as the Timelord’s mouth resumed its earlier ministrations.

 Barely a second later, uncontrollable laughter came from Sarah as the Doctor’s fingers dug into her sides and started tickling her. “You brute!” she breathlessly shrieked as he found a particularly sensitive spot.  

 “This doesn’t count as showing affection?” the Doctor teased, popping back up from under the blanket.

 “No!”

 The Timelord flashed a playful grin, and let his hands continue on.

 Sarah wrapped her legs around his sides and grasped at the sheets, her laughter not ceasing one bit. The Doctor’s deep laughs joined hers, and she started swatting at his shoulders.

 The Doctor rolled over onto his back after a moment, holding onto Sarah so that she would be on top of him. Unfortunately, he miscalculated the distance between him and that edge of the bed, and they rolled off together.

 They came down in a tangle of limbs, sheets, and blankets, her on top of him. “You alright?” they asked in unison. At the affirming nod, they collapsed into a fit of giggles.

 Sarah cleared her throat and propped herself up to look at the Doctor’s face. “You need to be more careful with me. I’m not as young as I used to be, you know.”

 “Funny… neither am I.”

 Sarah smiled softly down at him. “As nice as this is, I do have to get to Pharos this morning. Celeste says she’s got something to show me.”

 The Doctor nodded, and brought a hand up to caress Sarah’s cheek.

 Sarah kissed the Doctor’s nose, and moved to get up. But, the sheets had wound around their legs and torsos in the tumble, effectively wrapping them together. “But first, we’ll have to figure this out.”

 The Doctor raised his head to look down their bodies. “Yes, we have gotten ourselves into a bind, haven’t we?”

 ********

 “Are you sure I can’t come?” the Doctor asked as they headed out to Sarah’s car. “It sounds like quite the interesting place, with some of those experiments you mentioned over breakfast.”

 “Invitation only, I’m afraid. Maybe I can arrange something for next time. Besides, I can’t trust you not to touch anything in there.”

 “I’m perfectly capable of keeping my hands to myself,” the Doctor stated.

 “Sure you are.” Sarah unlocked her car, and turned back to the man, going up on tiptoe for a kiss.

 The Doctor eagerly obliged, and when Sarah broke it off to leave, he grabbed her hand and spun her back in for another. One hand fell to her hip to press their bodies together and deepen the kiss.

 Sarah let him decide when to stop, and teased, “What was that you said about being able to keep your hands to yourself?”

 “I thought you said I couldn’t?”

 “You…” Sarah shook her head as she took a step back. “Right, got to go. See you later.” She got in her car, and rolled down the window. “And you better not take the Tardis to Pharos.”

 “I promise I won’t. Not today, anyway.”

 “Love you,” Sarah  smiled.

 “I love you.”

 With that, Sarah drove off, and the Doctor watched until she had disappeared around the corner before going back inside.

 Both of them missed Gita, across the road and getting ready to go to her flower shop, having seen the whole thing. She rushed back into her house and said to Rani, eating breakfast before she had to go to her university classes in the city, “Sarah’s got a new man. Quite a tall man. Gorgeous, in his own way, from what I could see. She must trust him a lot already, leaving him alone at her house while she’s out.”

 “Oh, you mean the Doctor?” Rani replied.

 “You’ve met him already?” Then Gita repeated, “The Doctor?”

 Rani quickly realized her mistake when she saw her mother figuring out where she’d heard that title in relation to Sarah before. “I mean…”

 “That man she travelled with for years a while back? The one who left her heartbroken?”

 There was no point in denying her mother’s memory of that information from that astrology show a few years ago. “Yes, Mum, that Doctor.” Rani cleared her throat. “But I’m sure there was a good reason why he left her…” She grimaced. “I shouldn’t say any more.”

 “So, what’s he like, since you’ve met him? Shame on you, my darling, keeping this from me,” Gita mock-chided.

 “You know how Sarah Jane is about her privacy,” Rani shrugged, putting her plate in the sink and picking up her keys and backpack. “Nice, funny, really smart.” She did a once over to be sure she had everything. “Well, I’m off, and you should be, too,” Rani said pointedly, kissing her mother on the cheek.

 “Yes, yes,” Gita replied. “Off to class with you.” She followed Rani out and waved as she drove off. “I don’t have any pressing business at my shop this morning,” she said to herself. She rushed back to the kitchen, grabbed the plate of scones she had made last night, and made her way across the street.

 Rani was right in that Sarah liked her privacy, but Gita couldn’t pass up meeting this mysterious Doctor of hers. She knocked on the door, and within a minute, it opened to reveal the tall curly-haired man with a large smile.

 “Hello,” greeted the deep voice.

 “Hi, I’m Gita Chandra, from over the road.”

 The Doctor looked the woman over. “Chandra… Rani’s mother?”

 “Yes, exactly,” Gita nodded.

 “How do you do? I’m the Doctor.” He extended his hand to shake hers, not bothering to switch hands to accommodate for the plate in one of hers, and wrapping his hand around the back of her unoccupied one to shake it.

 “I’m… doing very well,” Gita quickly recovered from the unconventional handshake. And was it her imagination, or was his hand cooler than it should be? Maybe he had been handling something cold right before. “I brought these,” she held up the plate. She glanced around the driveway. “Could I come in?”

 “Of course, of course,” the Doctor’s smiled widened, as he stepped back and gestured the invitation with a sweep of his arm. He led her to the living room. “Have a seat. There’s still hot coffee, if you want.”

 Gita put the plate down on the coffee table, and glanced around at the various items in the space, “If it’s no trouble, my darling. Three sugars, please.” As the Doctor went to the kitchen, she wandered over to an intricately carved and painted round vessel. “Beautiful…” she admired. On a bookshelf near the vase was a small wooden statue of a figure she recognized. “I know where you’re from.”

 “Venezuela,” the Doctor’s voice stated from behind.

 Gita nearly jumped as she turned to him.

 “The vessel,” the Doctor clarified. “It’s from Venezuela.”

 “Oh, right.” Gita went back to the sofa and took the mug of coffee.

 The Doctor sat next to her and took a scone. “You haven’t been in here before?”

 Gita shook her head after taking a sip of the hot drink. “Sarah’s not one for having guests over. Though, Rani is over here a lot… She’s very selective about the people she lets in, it seems.”

 The Doctor nodded his agreement as he took a bite of the scone. “Very good,” he complimented.

 “Oh, thank you. I wasn’t sure if I should bring any food over, since you’d have certainly had breakfast.”

 “I did, but I accept your offering,” the Doctor beamed.

 Gita took another sip of her coffee. “You and Sarah travelled the world together when you were younger, yes?”

 The Doctor nearly corrected, “More than just the world,” but remembered Sarah’s desire to keep the supernatural aspect of her life low profile. “Yes,” he finally said.

 “Oh, the places you must’ve been to and sights you’ve seen…”

 “So many, yes. Scotland, Egypt, Antarctica, India, Mexico, Chile…” he started listing off. “Here and there… Did Sarah tell you this?”

 “Oh no, this is what that astrologer from a few years back said about her. You know, the one who somehow hypnotized half the world as part of some publicity stunt. Anyway, he got everything else right about my family, so I assumed he was right about our Sarah. And you two were together? Romantically, I mean?”

 “Very much so.”

 Gita smiled. “What a life… exciting, adventurous, romantic…”

 “Those are good descriptors.”

 Gita hid her change of expression by taking a long drink from the mug. She wasn’t sure how to ask about how the Doctor and Sarah had parted.

 Still, the Doctor saw through the attempt. “I had to leave her. It wasn’t safe for her to be with me for a time… and things kept getting in the way of finding my way back to her, for far too long.” He didn’t want to go into further detail, and his expression brightened. “So, here I am now.”

 Gita smiled again. “Are you going to dash her off to some other country again?”

 “Perhaps. Though she has been doing some world-travelling without me.”

 “I’d love to travel more, and not just around the UK, mind you. I’ve been getting on to Haresh, he’s my husband, about going somewhere the next school holiday. Not just a beach, somewhere with a proper adventure that could be had. Any suggestions?”

 The Doctor laughed. “You could find a proper adventure anywhere, if you’re looking for it. Even when you’re not looking for it, sometimes.”

 “What about… New Zealand?”

 “Oh, yes, we made it there, too. Absolutely stunning scenery.”

 “Certainly looks that way, with those Middle Earth films showing it off left, right, and center. Maybe I’ll be able to convince Haresh, a couple weeks travelling around New Zealand.” Gita cleared her throat, and switched back to the earlier topic. “So, you and Sarah, back together again?”

 The Doctor smiled and tapped his nose in response.

 “That’s beautiful, to be able to do that. Come back together like this. Almost like time doesn’t mean anything.”

 “That’s one of the things about time,” the Doctor said airily. “Sometimes, it means everything. And sometimes, it means nothing.”

 Gita nodded at the wisdom. Then she spotted the clock on the wall. “Speaking of time, I’ve taken up enough of yours, and I do need to open my flower shop. Bloomin’ Lovely, if you ever need any.”

“If I do, I’ll go to you, first,” the Timelord chuckled.

 “You can keep the rest of the scones, as a sort of welcome gift.” Gita drank the rest of the coffee and went to wash it out in the kitchen sink. She returned and said, “It’s been lovely meeting you.”

 “And you.” The Doctor saw Gita out, and watched as she hurried back over to her house.

 ********

 Sarah returned a few hours later, to find the Doctor reading a book on the couch. When she entered, he looked up and smiled at her.

 “So, what did your friend want to show you?” the man asked.

 “Oh no, I can’t tell you.”

 “Whyever not?”

 “Because you’ll get all interested and want to go see it for yourself,” Sarah grinned.

 The Doctor tilted his head and pouted.

 Sarah chuckled, “That won’t work on me. I’ve had enough practice with a few certain young people.”

 The Timelord shrugged. “Worth a try.”

 Sarah then noticed the plate of scones on the coffee table. “Did you make those?”

 “No. They’re from Gita. Charming woman.”

 “Gita? You let her in? What did she want?”

 “Of course I let her in. She came bearing gifts and questions. Do try one, they are quite good.”

 Sarah sighed. “Sorry, I’m still sometimes…” She gave a small appreciative smile as the Doctor took her hand gently between both of his. “She can be too nosy for her own good, at times, but she’s nice. I take it she wanted to meet you?”

 “You’re not an investigative journalist for nothing,” the Doctor teased.

 “Oh, cheek.”

 “Don’t worry, Sarah. I didn’t tell her anything about things not from Earth. Other than a little about me, of course.”

 “Of course.”

 “I also gave her some travel advice.”

 “Oh? Where about?”

 “New Zealand.”

 Sarah smiled. “New Zealand, huh?” She looked up the stairs. “That sounds like a wonderful inaugural day trip.” Her stomach growled. “After lunch.”

 The Doctor eagerly rose. “Make it a picnic lunch.”


	5. Chapter 5

Sarah didn’t know if it was on purpose or an unconscious thing that the Doctor was dressing like he had when she had been with him. Either way, it was nice. Though, it did elicit an especially emotional response when he came down to head out to dinner at the White Hart pub with her one night.

 Without purposely doing so, they had both put on their deep purple velvet knee-length jackets. It was the first time they had seen the other’s, and Sarah could only stare as a flood of memories went through her mind.

 “I see you have one, too,” the Doctor remarked. “It looks good on you.”

 “Take it off,” Sarah demanded.

 “What? Is there something wrong with it?”

 “No, I mean… Just for a moment?”

 The Doctor seemed to understand the woman’s reaction, and complied. Sarah also took hers off and placed it over the back of the couch. She then took his and put it on.

 Sarah’s eyes closed as she remembered the emotions the last time she had worn this. Appreciation, safety, warmth… irritation, frustration, sadness…

 “Mine always did look good on you, too,” the Doctor commented. “I don’t think I could possibly fit in yours.”

 Sarah opened her eyes as she chuckled. “Yes, best not try it.” She looked down at herself. The jacket enveloped her just as much as it had before, nearly reaching the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself, simply taking in the feel and smell of the jacket.

 The Doctor took in how comfortable Sarah looked in it, and smiled softly at the sight, also remembering the last time she had worn it, as well as other times. “It was your favorite of mine.” 

 “Still is.” Sarah let the man pull her into a hug. “So much so, that I had to get my own.”

 “In your size.”

 “Well, of course. I’d look absolutely ridiculous in this as every day wear.”

 The Doctor lightly laughed at the mental image of Sarah running around saving the world in his much-too-big jacket. “I’ll tell you what. You can wear it around the house, then, if you’d like.”

 Sarah looked up at him, their fronts still pressed together. “Hm… might take you up on that.” Then she cleared her throat and let go of the Timelord. “But for now, dinner.” She took off the too-large jacket and handed it back to its owner, then put hers on.

 “Any particular reason why this pub in particular?” the Doctor asked as Sarah started the car.

 “It’s run by a couple of old friends. Mike and John.”

 “Mike Yates?”

 “Yes.”

 “And John…?”

 “Benton.” Sarah gave the man a sideways glance as she steered around the corner. “You didn’t know his first name?”

 The Doctor shrugged. “I always thought it was Sergeant.”

 Sarah saw the joking grin that quickly broke through his straight face, and sighed. “Oh, stop it, you.” She swatted his arm in his lap.

“Did you tell them about me yet?”

 Sarah shook her head. “Partly our reason for going.”

 “What’s the other part?”

 “Good food, of course.”

 ********

 Sarah entered the large pub alone, and made her way to the bar. She ordered a light drink from the bartender, and asked to see the owners, telling her to say that Sarah Jane was here. She took a sip from her drink as she waited.

 It didn’t take long for Mike Yates to tap her on the shoulder and greet, “Sarah Jane! You really should come in more often.”

 Sarah hugged him and smiled at the kiss to her cheek. “You say that every time.”

 “He says it because it’s true,” came John Benton’s voice from over the bar counter.

 Sarah let go of Mike to lean over and get a kiss on her other cheek.

 “So, how are you?” Mike asked, sitting on the stool next to Sarah. Benton kept leaning forward on his forearms.

 “Oh, fine. Nothing really new to report.”

 “How’s that son of yours? Showing up all the professors at Oxford?” inquired Benton.

 Sarah laughed. “Probably. Luke’s doing great. Came for a visit over a week ago.”

 Benton took Sarah’s hand between both of his. “You know why it’s always nice to see you?”

 “Oh?”

 “Because you make us feel our age.”

 “That hardly sounds like a positive,” laughed Sarah.

 “What John means is that your ever-radiant beauty is a lovely sight for the eyes of two old dogs like us.”

 “Much better put.” Sarah said to Benton, “I think he saved it.”

 Benton shrugged. “Mike always was the better romantic.”

 “Heard from Jo recently?” asked Sarah.

 “Almost three weeks ago,” Benton answered. “She’s in… was it Taiwan or Thailand?”

 “Thailand, I’m sure,” Mike affirmed.

 Sarah was so good at keeping the two distracted, that they didn’t notice the tall curly-haired man in a matching purple jacket slide onto the stool on the other side of Mike.

 “Barkeep,” the Timelord called out.

 “What can I-” Benton turned, and stared open-mouthed. “Blimey! Doctor?” Mike spun on his seat.

 “Captain, Sergeant,” the Doctor beamed. “Nice place you have here.”

 Sarah grinned at the reactions of the other two men. “I lied. There is one new development in my life.”

 “I was about to say what an amazing coincidence this would’ve been,” Benton said. “Sarah Jane’s Doctor coming in soon after she does. Wearing similar clothes, even.”

 “Please, Doctor. It’s Mike and John now. I left Unit before you did, and John retired a while ago.”

 Benton looked the Doctor up and down. “It’s strange, us looking older than you last I saw this you.”

 Sarah snorted. “You should’ve seen the one Jo and I met together.”

 “So, you two travelling together again?” Mike inquired.

 “Want anything to drink, Doctor?” Benton asked.

 “Ginger beer, please.”

 “Sort of,” Sarah responded to Mike’s question.

 Benton got the Doctor’s drink, and pulled a couple of menus from under the counter. “You here for a drink or dinner?”

 “Dinner, and the company,” Sarah nodded.

 “There’s a back room we can eat and talk in,” Mike suggested. “Dinner on the house for you two.”

 “Splendid idea,” the Doctor agreed.

 It only took a moment for them to tell Benton what they wanted, who relayed it to a waiter and told them where they would be. Then they were led to the private room.

 “How long have you been here?” Benton asked, closing the door behind them.

 “Week and a half,” the Doctor answered.

 “It’s why Luke came to visit then,” Sarah added.

 “Does that mean you’re here to stay, then?” Mike wondered. “Like how your previous self stayed?”

 The Doctor nodded. “Yes… although my Tardis does work, and we’ve gone to a couple places together.”

 “You were quite restless to be off somewhere else before,” said Benton.

 “Yes, well… one can grow tired of wandering. Especially when one wanders too far from a certain person in his life.”

 Benton and Mike had certainly noticed the body language of the pair, from the obvious hand-holding to the more subtle leaning into each other’s space once seated.

The conversation continued, interrupted only when their dinner arrived, then went on after. Benton went out to get another round of drinks at some point, non-alcoholic for Sarah this time.

 When the conversation finally died down, long after their plates were clean, Benton and Mike smiled to each other. “We have something for you, Doctor. Although, I don’t think it’ll beat your surprising us tonight,” said Benton.

 “We’ll give it a fair chance,” the Doctor responded.

 “This way,” Benton led the group.

 They entered a large garage and storage area. Benton flicked on the lights, and there was no mistaking what the two men wanted to show them.

 “Bessie!” the Doctor exclaimed, rushing over to the bright yellow roadster.

 Sarah grinned at the Timelord’s enthusiasm, and followed him at a more dignified pace. “We thought Unit had her,” she said. She chuckled as the Doctor vaulted into the driver’s side.

 “The Brig had her. Then, before he went to the care home, he gave her to us,” Mike explained. “We keep it here because we don’t have any space at our house.”

 “I’ve been trying to keep it up to specs,” Benton stated. “Hopefully, I haven’t broken any of your modifications in the process.”

 “I’m sure you’ve done great,” the Doctor approved.

 Benton took a key down from a hook on the wall, and went over to join the Doctor. They soon fell into a discussion about the car.

 Sarah and Mike stayed back a bit, simply watching the two for a couple moments. Then Mike turned to Sarah and lowly inquired, “I know this is probably a stupid question. But, you two… you’re alright?”

 Sarah turned to the man. “Yeah. We’re okay.” She sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, if this might be too good to be true. But, he’s here to stay, and I believe that. He’s not going to leave me again.”

 Mike nodded. “Still, if anything happens…” He remembered how she had been when he had picked her up from Aberdeen all those years ago.

 “I know.” Sarah turned back to the men inspecting the car. Mike put his arm around her back and drew her into a side hug. “Thank you.”

 Sarah and Mike stayed in that position, watching the excitement of their partners. After a few minutes, Sarah called out, “John, before you give him the keys and let him drive off with it, he’ll have to get a driver’s license.”

 “But, Sarah, I already have one.”

 “From the early ‘70’s! It wouldn’t even be your face on it.”

 The Doctor sighed, and patted Bessie’s hood. “I’ll be back for you, don’t you worry.”

“She’ll certainly be here whenever you get your papers in order,” Mike assured.

“Good. Then he can stop complaining about how small my car is for him,” Sarah muttered.

 “Your car is small,” Benton stated.

 “Hey, watch it.”

 A short time later, they were saying goodbyes outside the front of the pub.

 Mike and Benton hugged Sarah. They went to shake the Doctor’s hand, who used their hands to yank them into a hug.

 “It’s nice that you two are still around,” the Doctor said sincerely.

 “It’s nice to know you’ll be around,” Benton replied when they all let go.

 “The Doctor and Sarah Jane,” Mike said, putting his arm around Benton’s shoulders. “How it should be.”

 The Doctor and Sarah smiled their response, and took hands as they went out to her car in the parking lot.


	6. Chapter 6

 The Doctor did get his driver’s license a few days later, much to his annoyance at not being able to simply use the one from 1970.  Sarah hadn’t let him cheat by using Mr Smith to create a fake one, taking some fun in his exasperation. Then the day after they had gone to collect Bessie from Mike and Benton.

 The yellow car in the driveway next to Sarah’s drew some friendly teasing from Clyde and Rani. Gita remarked that it was a bit mad to have a car of that age, style, and colour, but concluded that it somehow suited the Doctor.

 At the moment, the Doctor and Bessie were in the closed garage, him working on upgrading the superdrive engine.

 At the doorbell ring, Sarah set the laptop on the coffee table, and set her reading glasses on the keyboard. “Coming!” she called out at the second ring. Sarah opened the front door, and took in the man that stood there.

 “Hello, is this 13 Bannerman Road?” asked the man, a smile on his face.

 Sarah raised her brow after a moment, having gotten a certain feeling about this visitor. “Hello, Doctor. I see you actually do know where my front door is.”  

 The man was taken aback. “How did you know?”

 Sarah smiled. “Good guess. Something about the eyes, I think.” She looked him over again, taking in the curly grey hair, velvet jacket, and rest of his clothing. “Tell me, did you purposely dress like the first you I met to see me?”

 The Doctor glanced down himself, and smiled sheepishly at Sarah. “Oh… this just sort of… happened.” Then he quickly moved in and grabbed Sarah in a tight hug, picking her up for a moment. “Hello, Sarah Jane.”

 “It is nice to see you, too.” Sarah replied as the Timelord released her. She gripped the lapels of his velvet jacket. “You’re after the one Jo and I met?”

 “Yes. The next one, actually.”

 “So, where did you park the Tardis?”

 “Down the road. I didn’t think it a good idea to try to arrive in your attic, with one already there.” At Sarah’s expression of surprise, he continued, “That is where he keeps it, correct? I would think the back garden would also be a nice spot, though people might ask questions, but it wasn’t there, so…”

 “Are you the one who… who directed him to me?” Sarah’s voice was hushed. At the nod, she pulled him into a quick hard embrace. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” She kept her hands on his forearms. Then, a sudden anxiety filled her. “Um… As nice as this is…”

 “Why am I here?” The Doctor raised his eyebrows. “Do I need a reason to see my best friend?” He fixed her with an assuring stare. “I promise, I’m not here to take him away. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

 “Good, I…” Sarah stepped aside. “Come in, make yourself at home.”  

 The Doctor slightly bowed his head as he walked inside. He settled on the sofa, and smiled up to the woman. “Beautiful home you have here. I expected as much, with how the attic looks.”

 “Thank you. Tea?”

 “If it’s no bother.”

 Sarah took the time of putting the kettle on to think what she was going to do with two Doctors in her home, and what this new one was here to talk about, other than simply stopping by to say hello to her. 

 “How’s he settling in?” came the voice from behind, making Sarah jump. “Sorry,” the Doctor apologized. “I saw no point in making you wait and bring it out to me.”

 “It’s alright. He- my Doctor is doing fine.”

 “Good, very good. “

 They waited for the water to heat up. Sarah could sense he was trying to think of something to say to break the silence. After a long moment, the Doctor commented, “You’re looking well. But then, you always do.”

 “You, too. Quite a bit older-looking than your last body, though.”

 The Doctor shrugged. “Regeneration… you never know.”

 “I like it. Suits you.”

 The Timelord half-smiled. “You’re not just saying that because I remind you of the first me you knew?”

 Sarah shook her head. Then the kettle whistled behind her, and she poured two mugs. She noticed the several spoonfuls of sugar he dumped into his cup, another reminder of the first one she had known. “Do you still travel with someone?”

 “Oh, I haven’t been travelling much, lately. I have a position at St. Luke’s University that takes up most of my time.”

 Sarah raised her brow. “Teaching?” At the nod, she remarked, “I always thought you’d be good at that.”

 “Sarah, I think I’ve got the-“ the younger Doctor stopped himself as he walked in from the garage. A couple of grease streaks stained his face. “Hello…” he said to the other man in the kitchen. He looked to Sarah for explanation, knowing how against she was of letting strangers in, and letting them stand so close to her when there was enough space. “I would say this is my previous self…” He took note of the clothing and hair style. “But his face is different. Somewhat.”

 “I am you. Well, not exactly, if I’ve done all this right. A future Doctor, at any rate.” The older Doctor stirred his tea, and set his spoon in the sink.

 “Is there an emergency?” the younger Doctor inquired, seeming to size the other man up.

 “No, nothing of the sort, I promise. I’m simply here to visit my friend, and explain a few things to the both of you.”

 “He’s the one who brought you to me,” Sarah explained.

 The younger Doctor beamed. “Then I must express my deepest gratitude.”

 Sarah smiled, and went to the living room with her cup of tea. The older Doctor followed, and her Doctor followed a minute later after getting tea for himself.

 The couple sat on the couch together, while the other Timelord sat on the other, and turned to face them. Before anyone could start the conversation, Sarah took the blanket draped over the back of the couch and rubbed at the dark streaks on her Doctor’s face.

 “How far along are you in regenerations?” the younger Doctor asked as Sarah cleaned his face.

 “This is… eight bodies after you.”

 “Number twelve?” The younger Timelord breathed.

 Sarah finished making her Doctor more presentable, and took a sip from her cup. “However you did this, thank you. You have no idea what this has meant to me, to us.”

 “I do I have some idea,” the other Doctor said. “I remember being him, how much I missed you and love you… how much I wanted to get back to you.”

 The brown-haired Doctor took Sarah’s hand, rubbing the back of hers with his thumb. The present tense of a certain word didn’t escape their notice.

 Sarah cleared her throat. “So… you don’t remember this happening, then?”

 “I don’t, because it didn’t happen for me,” the twelfth Doctor stated. The corner of his mouth lifted. “I’ve learned a few tricks since I was you.”

 “I’ve been split off,” the younger Doctor realized.

 “Split off?” Sarah repeated.

 “A timeline, split off from the rest of me.”

 The older Timelord took a long drink, then nodded. “You regenerated. Obviously, since I’m here. But you didn’t, at the same time.”

 “I fell… and pain…” The expression was far away.

 “Yes. That’s the point where I split you off. I won’t go into all the details on how I managed it. Just be rest assured that I did. You’re on your own timeline, now.”

 “One for us,” Sarah breathed.

 “I’m sorry it took so long, from your perspectives, but this was the best point in your timelines to do it.”

 “I understand,” the younger Doctor nodded. “Manipulating your own timeline like this…”

 “Well worth it, to have you two together.”

 “You’ll hear no argument from us,” said Sarah, leaning against her Doctor’s side.

 The older Doctor simply stared at the two for a moment, a warm smile on his features. “There’s more. Since you did technically regenerate, into a younger-looking blonde and very polite fellow, if you were wondering… Sorry, spoilers. Although… is it really spoilers if it won’t happen for you…?” the older man’s voice trailed off.

 Sarah’s brow furrowed. “One I met on Gallifrey. Briefly, after everything was done… He didn’t say anything to me, like he couldn’t, emotionally. But, he wouldn’t let go of my hand, until your previous self pulled me away.”

 The older Doctor came back to the conversation. “Conclusion: you shouldn’t regenerate. You won’t.”

 “Another trick you’ve learned?” the younger Doctor asked.

 “Perhaps.”

 “Good.”

 “Good?” Sarah looked to her Timelord in surprise at his reaction. “No more regenerations is good?”

 The younger Doctor sighed, and looked to the other one. “You’ve lived lifetimes without Sarah. I can see some of what I’ve felt all that time away from her in you, still. If I don’t have to experience that…”

 The other Doctor cleared his throat and looked away. “She’s something special, our Sarah. You were always hers. The rest of us… we can’t compare.” After a long breath, his gaze returned, this time accompanied with a light smile. “Besides, we can’t have two timelines of us with full regeneration cycles. Could be dangerous.”

 Sarah chuckled. “Yes, one of you is trouble enough.”

 “Exactly.” The older Doctor leaned back. “Does this all make sense?”

 “Perfect sense,” the younger Doctor nodded. “Even if you won’t tell me the temporal mechanics on how you achieved it.”

 “Some things should stay secret.” To Sarah, the other Doctor said, “Speaking of, you don’t have to worry about not telling him of things you’ve done with future versions of him, since it won’t happen. I’m sure there are a couple stories you’ve been wanting to tell.” He suddenly clapped his hands and stood. “Right, that’s all the business out of the way. Do you mind if I look around your home?”

 “Be my guest,” Sarah answered. She and her Doctor stayed on the couch, sitting quietly as they thought through everything.

 “You alright?” the Doctor asked quietly.

 “Me? You’re the one who’s just been told he won’t regenerate.”

 “I meant what I said.” The Timelord brought his thumb up to his mouth. “The me you met in 2007, which one was he?”

 “If this one is number twelve, then he would’ve been number ten.”

 “Five lifetimes before he saw you again.” The Doctor shook his head. “I have a life with you now, thanks to that one,” he vaguely gestured to the other Timelord looking at Sarah’s collection of books and other items. “He’s done all this for you and this me.” He leaned in to press his forehead to Sarah’s. “Why would I want anything else?”

 Sarah smiled and closed her eyes, her hand coming up over the man’s right heart. He meant it, she knew without a doubt. The soft whisper in her mind with his voice assured her so.

 “You’ve even got Bessie! How perfect!” The older Doctor had made his way to the open door connecting to the garage.

 Sarah and her Doctor broke apart to laugh lightly at the exclamation.

 A few minutes later, his immediate curiousity sated, the older Doctor announced that he should head back to Bristol .

 “Thank you, again,” the brown haired Doctor said, taking his other self’s hand to shake.

 “Like I said in my note, you two deserve this.” The twelfth Doctor turned away and took a couple steps, then turned and came back up to the pair. “If I were to occasionally drop by, as a friend… would you mind?”

 Sarah grinned. “Mind? How could I possibly mind, after everything you’ve done for us?” She pulled him into a tight hug.

 Over Sarah’s head, the two Doctors exchanged a glance. The younger one said, “I have the same sentiment.”

 The older Doctor smiled his appreciation, and lowered his head to the woman in his embrace. When they let go, he beamed at them both, and turned away to leave.

 Sarah and her Doctor followed the other Timelord down the driveway, and chuckled when he went down the street one way for a moment, then turned around and went past them the other way. “Tardis is this way,” he sheepishly muttered.

 The Doctor put his arm around Sarah as the other Doctor disappeared from view. He led her to the bench in the back garden. “So, tell me about one of your adventures with another me. You and Jo met one together?”

 “Oh, yes.” Sarah sat and swung her legs over the man’s thighs. “It started when Unit turned up at my door…”


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah and Celeste Rivers did an informal handshake when the head scientist at the Pharos Institute came to greet them at the entrance. True to Sarah’s word, she had arranged for the Doctor to see what projects Pharos was doing.

 When Sarah drew her hand back, she gestured to the Timelord behind her. “This is the Doctor. He’s my best friend.”

 Celeste raised her brow at the term, but didn’t say anything about their obviously couple demeanor. She smiled as she shook the man’s hand. “Very nice to meet you, Doctor…?”

 “Just Doctor will do,” the Doctor replied. 

 Celeste chuckled. “I’m sure. We don’t give just anyone a tour of our institute. But since it was Sarah Jane who asked…”

 “Oh, I’m very appreciative.”

 Celeste waved her passcard in front of the scanner on the door and led them inside. “She also tells me you’re a brilliant scientist in your own right. In what field, exactly?”

 “Oh, I dabble in many fields. Astrophysics, chemistry, electrical engineering-“

 “He’ll go on all day if you let him,” Sarah interrupted with amusement.

 “Exobiology, geophysics,” the Doctor continued as Celeste handed them guest security passes. “Rocketry, occasionally botany-“

 “She’s got the idea,” Sarah prompted. 

 “Horology,” the Doctor came to a finish.

 “Quite the diverse interests,” Celeste remarked, leading them through an interior door. “I’m sure you’ll find many of our projects fascinating.”

 “Yes, I do usually find a great many things interesting.”

 Celeste went into a room to prepare something, and Sarah pulled the Doctor back slightly. She leaned sideways into him and whispered, “Remember what I said. No touching unless she gives you permission.”

 “Me?” the Doctor replied, with an incredulous expression. “Didn’t you say you broke in and stole one of her proje-“ He grunted as Sarah elbowed him in the ribs.

 “Not here!” Sarah hissed.

 They both quickly smiled to hide the conversation as Celeste came back. The scientist said, “I just had to do a safety check before I bring you two in. You can come in now.” The couple followed her inside the laboratory space. “What we’re doing here is…”

 

 “So,” Sarah said as they bid Celeste goodbye at the main entrance and made their way over to Bessie in the parking lot. “Satisfied?”

 “More than satisfied,” the Doctor nodded. “They’re doing some great work for this time period. Your friend Celeste is quite intelligent and capable.” He hopped into the driver’s seat and his hand stopped halfway to the ignition.

 “What?” Sarah prompted.

 “Do you think Celeste would be opposed to having a scientific advisor?”

 Sarah sighed, affection in her tone. “You can’t be a scientific advisor in a building full of scientists.”

 The Timelord grinned and started the car. “I suppose you have a point there.”

 “I’m sure Unit would love to have you back,” Sarah said, obviously teasing. “They probably already have a scientific advisor, but they couldn’t go wrong with two.”

 “Oh no. I can’t do that again.”

 “They’re not as bad as they used to be in recent times.”

 The Doctor shrugged. “Perhaps not. But, it wouldn’t be the same without the Brigadier trying to lord over me.”

 Sarah stared wistfully to the side, at the passing scenery, remembering her friend. “No… it wouldn’t be.” She cleared her throat and turned back to the Doctor. “It’s his daughter now, running things. Kate Stewart.”

 “Is it, now?” the Doctor mused.

 “I haven’t met her myself, but she’s turned Unit around from how her recent predecessors handled things.” Sarah shrugged, “Although, I still don’t make it a point to be on particularly friendly terms with them.” 

 “I’ll follow your lead, then. I have no desire or need to get involved with them again.”

 “So, the quiet life, then? As quiet as the two of us can manage, anyway?”

 The Doctor simply nodded.

 Sarah glanced around again, and came to a realization. “Hey, this isn’t the way home.”

 “It’s not? How interesting.”

 “Alright, what are you up to?”

 “Nothing. Just felt like a nice drive in the countryside.”

 “Hm… that does sound lovely.” She looked up to the man as he looked down to her, and they both smiled in unison. Sarah scooted in closer to him in the seat, and he drew her in with an arm around her shoulders. Her smile widened at the kiss to the top of her head.

 ********

 “Who is he?” Clyde asked, not looking up from his drawing pad.

 Sarah looked up from the book she was reading, and to the young man on the other couch in the living room. “Who?” They could hear the quiet tones of the Doctor and Rani working on an experiment the Timelord had brought out from the Tardis in the dining room.

 “That’s what I’m asking you. Come on, Sarah Jane, you know Gita’s a gossip.” Clyde considered his drawing for a second. “Still needs more hair. Your Doctor really does have a lot of it.” He looked up from his work to Sarah. “Did he ever have it short?”

 Sarah laughed lightly and shook her head. “He would ever only let me trim it a little to keep it directly out of his eyes.”

 Clyde nodded with a little smile, but didn’t return to drawing. “Don’t think I was changing the topic. Who is he?”

 “You’re really going to have to be more specific.”

 “Grey-haired fancy pants bloke, according to Gita. He doesn’t drive over.” Clyde’s eyes widened a little as he remembered some of Sarah’s Unit photos. He leaned in and asked in a hushed tone, “Not the Doctor you knew before this one, is he?”

 “No, he’s not,” Sarah shook her head.

 Clyde let out a mock-breath of relief. “Oh good, I can’t imagine the trouble you and two Doctors would attract,” he teased. “Though I guess so far, you and him have managed to lay low.”

 They turned in the direction of the dining room at a loud pop sound, short shriek of surprise, and the smell of smoke. “You better not be setting fires in there!” Sarah called out.

 “We’re not, promise!” Rani called back. “I think… not yet,” she added uncertainly.

 “Just a small miscalculation,” the Doctor answered. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

 Sarah shook her head and gestured to Clyde to not check on them. “As long as it stays small,” she said to the pair in the other room. To the man sitting near her, she answered, “He’s just a friend.”

 “We figured that. But, what’s his name?”

 Sarah shook her head with a tight but friendly smile.

 “You can’t say? Come on, Sarah Jane, you know any of your secrets are safe with us.”

 “That doesn’t mean I have to share all of them with you.”

 “You know being all hush-hush about him is just going to make Rani want to investigate on her own.”

 “She’s welcome to, though I doubt she’d get very far without a name to start with.”

 “Not if she can get a picture of him next time he’s over.”

 Sarah got what Clyde was thinking. “Mr Smith wouldn’t tell you about him, either.”

“Does that mean Mr Smith knows who he is and you’ve sworn him to secrecy, or that Mr Smith doesn’t know and wouldn’t find any information?”

 “I’ll leave you to your theories.” Sarah smirked and picked up her book again.

 Clyde let out a disappointed sigh and picked up his pencil and went back to drawing. After a minute, he guessed, “Another Timelord? How cool would that be, for us to meet a second one?”

 “We already know another one.”

 “We do?”

 “The man with Captain the parrot.”

 “Oh!” Clyde’s eyes brightened. “That does make sense, yeah.”

 “His name is the Corsair. And no, this man you’re asking about is not a different version of him.”

 “Damn.”

 “Apparently, he’s an old friend of the Doctor’s. That would be an interesting reunion if he turns up again.”

 “You’re really not going to talk about this mystery man?”

 “He’s simply a friend, Clyde. Nothing to worry over.”

 Clyde flashed a little grin. “Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean he’s nothing to be intrigued over.” He looked down as he did a few more strokes with his pencil, then turned the drawing pad around to show Sarah. “What do you think?”

 “Oh… very nice. Brilliant,” Sarah commented of the portrait of the man she loved. “Going to colour it?”

 “Just the eyes, I think.”

 “That would be rather striking.”

 “Yeah, as an emphasis effect.” Clyde started going through his pencils to find the right shades of blue.

 There was another pop from the dining room, louder than the previous one. It was followed by a high-pitched cough and a deep, “That’s definitely not supposed to happen.”

 Sarah and Clyde exchanged a glance before the woman put her book aside and got up to check on the other two.


	8. Chapter 8

 Luke was in town again for a few days, and was currently helping Sarah with the grocery shopping. “How’s the Doctor been doing with his mobile phone?” he asked.

 “He’s had it a couple weeks, yes,” Sarah answered with a little laugh. “He sees the objective use of it, of course, but I’m not sure if he actually likes having it or not. He keeps it on him while out, but forgets to turn it on, and he isn’t a fan of texting. He hasn’t chucked it out the window, at any rate.”

 “I bet you two would’ve loved to have it while on your adventures together.”

 “Indeed. Would’ve certainly made things easier.” Sarah shook her head. “He’s already upgraded it, and mine, of course. Never loses signal, even when not on Earth in this time. Or so he claims on that second point. We haven’t tested that yet.”

 “Phones that never lose signal would’ve been great for us,” Luke stated. “Along with stomp-proof ones.”

 “Yeah, definitely.”

 “Mum?” Luke asked after they had loaded the car, and they had started on their way home.

 Sarah recognized the slightly nervous tone in her son’s voice. “Yes?”

 “Um… I’m not really sure… I mean…”

 “Take your time,” Sarah prompted, wondering what he could possibly tell her that would make him act like this.

 “Do you… do you think the Doctor would mind if I started calling him ‘dad?’”

 “I don’t…” Sarah certainly wasn’t expecting this question. “I don’t know. I mean…” She nearly felt overwhelmed by the sudden wave of emotion the question brought, and the thoughts of missed possibilities from the past. Things that, back then, she had barely given any thought to. “That’s… that’s something you’ll have to ask him. I don’t know exactly how he would feel about being called a parent.”

 “It’s not like he actually has any responsibility, right? Since I’m already an adult and in university?” Luke was quiet for a long moment, watching his mother. “Would you mind?”

 “I…” Sarah faltered again. “I don’t think I would mind, no.”

 Luke picked up on the uncertain tone. “I’m not reminding you of anything that happened, am I?”

 Sarah shook her head.

 Luke turned to look out the window. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, I’ll drop it and not ask again.”

 “I’m sorry, Luke. It’s just… I don’t know… I’m processing it.” Sarah took a deep breath. “I think that, because it’s only been the two of us for all this time, it would be… different to hear you call someone that.”

 “Bad different or good different?” Luke’s gaze returned to Sarah.

 “Oh, not bad, I’m sure.” Sarah took a long minute to sort through her feelings and think through her words. Then she smiled. “I wouldn’t mind.” Her tone was certain this time. ‘Really, if there was anyone in the universe for you to call dad, now that he’s back in my life, he does make the most sense.” She glanced to her son for a second. “But, you’ll have to ask him how he feels about it before you do it.” As a little note of encouragement, “Although, I highly doubt he’ll storm off in anger when you do ask.”

 “Thanks, Mum.”

 ********

 Luke was too nervous to ask the Doctor that day, and didn’t approach him with that topic in mind until the next one, while the Doctor was cooking dinner. Even with the time to think about it, he was still anxious. He wanted to call the Timelord by that title, feeling they were close enough to do it, and that their individual relationships with Sarah gave enough precedent. 

 “What would you think if I called you Dad?” Luke quietly asked, even though Sarah was working in the attic and wouldn’t overhear. He quickly added, “Not all the time. Just, sometimes.”

 “Sarah warned me you had something to ask me. I was wondering when you would,” the Doctor responded, more as a way to give himself time to think. “She didn’t tell me what about, though, saying it was a personal matter.”

 “Yeah, I asked Mum what she thought first.”

 The Doctor added a couple of spices to the cooking meat and vegetables in the pan, and stirred. “I take it she was positive?”

 “Overall, yeah.”

 The Doctor took a contemplative breath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been called any word for father.”

 Luke furrowed his brow. “You’ve been one?”

 “Oh, yes. Before I left Gallifrey.” The Timelord’s expression became somehow blank as he softly said, “That was a very long time ago. And being a parent on Gallifrey is much different from Earth cultures. I’d rather not go into all that, or any more of my past, really.”

 “I… wasn’t asking you to?”

 The Doctor turned around so the skillet was behind him on the stove, to fully consider Luke. “You’re right, you weren’t,” he said dismissively, all traces of that faraway mood gone in an instant.

 “I was just thinking, with you and Mum together, that socially makes you my dad. So, I would like to call you that.”

 “Yes… it does, doesn’t it…” the Doctor contemplated.

 “If you’re not comfortable, I’ll just keep calling you Doctor, and nothing has changed.” Luke saw the same strange expression that Sarah had yesterday.

 The Timelord shook his head. “It’s not a problem.” He smiled as he stated, “I would have no objections.”

 Luke let out a relieved breath, then suddenly hugged the Doctor. “Thanks… Dad.”

 The Doctor felt the smile against his collarbone and patted the back of the young man’s head. Then he quickly let go at the sound of the food sizzling louder and turned to tend to it before it could burn.

 ********

 “Quite the question your son had for me,” the Doctor said later that night, his fingers tenderly going through Sarah’s hair fanned out on the pillow.

 “Oh, he asked you, then?” Sarah closed the book she was reading and put it aside to sit up against the headboard. “I didn’t want to speak for you when he asked me about it yesterday. So, what did you say?”

 The Doctor sat up, cross-legged in front of Sarah. “I told him that I have no objections, if he wants to call me Dad.”

 “Good. I didn’t think you would, but…”

 “But, what?”

 Sarah shrugged. “I couldn’t be sure about it.”

 The Timelord took Sarah’s hand and absentmindedly played with the fingers. When he looked up to her face, he inquired, “Did his question make you think?”

 “How couldn’t it? The idea of my son calling you his dad?” Sarah’s gaze lowered to their hands. “It made me think…” she started softly. “Of… of possibilities.”

 “Past possibilities?”

 “Yes. If we had been able to stay together… would we have had children?”

 “I had similar thoughts after Luke asked me.” The man tilted Sarah’s head back up with a gentle finger under her chin. “I can’t tell you a definite answer to that.”

 “I know. At the time we travelled together, having children was one of the last things on my mind. Barely gave it a thought. Still didn’t for a long time after. Never really thought I was parent material.”

 “Until you decided to adopt Luke?”

 “Until Luke. Even then, it was a very fleeting what-if thought.”

 “It’s more than fleeting now.”

 “Definitely.” Sarah sighed and looked back down to their entwined hands. “Could we even have had them? With our biological differences?”

 “We couldn’t now?” A hint of amusement tinged his voice.

 Sarah let out a little snort. “I’m sure you know enough about Human biology to know why. I know I’ve always looked younger than my actual age, but it’s still a moot point now.” She briefly glanced up to the man’s face with a tiny smile. “Thanks for the compliment.”

 The Doctor considered the question more seriously. “Time Lords rarely mix with others, especially not in a romantic or sexual manner. There’s no precedent for… well, there is one I know. But, I don’t know if she ever had any children with her Human.”

 Sarah tried to shrug dismissively. “Not that it really matters now.” It wasn’t entirely convincing.

 The Doctor knew not to press her, or to apologize.

 “It could’ve been dangerous, if we had tried.” Sarah’s gaze moved to the Timelord’s blue eyes. “I don’t regret not trying or having any with you. Maybe if we had been able to stay together, it would’ve happened, or it might not have. I’m not going to dwell on what-ifs.”

 The Doctor nodded, then asked, “Do you think I would’ve been good father material?”

 A smile pulled at the corners of Sarah’s mouth. “Perhaps. Probably more parent material than me.” She reached out to caress the man’s jaw. “Our lifestyle wouldn’t have led to the best parenting.” A little laugh came out.

 “No, probably not,” the Doctor agreed.

 “Settling down would’ve been the best thing, which neither of us were ready for. Not with all the adventure and everything of the universe out there for us.”

 “I don’t regret not attempting to have children with you, either,” the Doctor assured.

 “So, neither of us have regrets. Good.”

 “You’re fine with Luke calling me Dad sometimes?”

 Sarah moved in close to say, “No objections. Might take a bit of getting used to for both of us, but I’m happy to share him with you like that.”

 The Doctor smiled as their foreheads gently came together and their noses nuzzled the other’s. They started a kiss, then separated at the knock on the door. “Come in,” Sarah invited.

 Luke tentatively came in, making sure he wasn’t interrupting anything before fully committing. K9 followed him in a little.

 “Goodnight, Master, Mistress,” K9 said.

 “Goodnight, K9,” Sarah and the Doctor said unison.

 Luke went over to kiss his mother on the cheek. “Night, Mum.”  He looked to the Doctor. “And Dad.” After the bidding from the other two, he and K9 left, closing the door behind them.

 Sarah and the Doctor stared at the door for a few seconds, then turned back to each other to resume their kiss, their heavy thoughts more than certainly eased.


	9. Chapter 9

 Sarah bolted upright with a shout, shocking herself into waking up. The Doctor woke up as well, sitting up at her side within a second. He could feel her body quivering through heavy breaths.

 “Sarah?” the Timelord softly prompted. He placed a hand on her back and repeated her name.

 Sarah heavily swallowed, glancing around the darkness of the bedroom. “Just a… just a nightmare…” she said through a strained voice.

 The Doctor didn’t say anything as he wrapped his arms around her.

 “I’m alright,” Sarah assured after a moment. It was quickly undermined by a little sob, and she wiped at her eyes, feeling wetness on her fingers.

 “You’re crying,” the Doctor stated, not needing to feel the tears himself to know.

 “Just a nightmare. Sometimes they…” Sarah’s exhale was long and shaky. “Sorry. At times they get…”

 “Intense?”

 “Yes. Been a while since I’ve had one like this…” Sarah leaned into the cool embrace. “You should go back to sleep.”

 “What about you?”

 “It takes a good while before I can.” Sarah wiped at her eyes again. “Why am I still crying?” She raised her hand in the darkness, and felt it tremble. “Still shaking, too.” 

 “That’s alright. It’ll eventually pass.”  The Doctor dropped his nose to the woman’s hair. “What do you do when this happens?”

 “Usually lay here until I finally do fall asleep.” Sarah shifted to get out of the man’s hold. “But I don’t want to disturb you.”

 The Doctor let Sarah go, and watched her shape in the darkness get up from the bed and stretch her arms over her head.

 “Must’ve been really bad.” Sarah wiped her face again.

 “Do you not remember them?”

 “I do, mostly.”

 “What was this one about?”

 Sarah shook her head. “I’d rather not talk about it right now.” She opened the door, and took a step out into the hallway.

 “Wait, Sarah.” An idea came to the Doctor, and he got up. 

 “It was only a nightmare. No need for you to worry over it. I’ll be fine.” Sarah’s voice cracked at the end. She muttered quietly, “Why is this one so bad?”

  “Come with me?” The Doctor took Sarah’s hand, and gently pulled her in the direction of the stairs, up to the attic.

 “Trip in the Tardis?” Sarah asked as the Timelord pushed open the attic door. “It was just a silly nightmare, honest.”

 “It’s not silly, to affect you so.” The Doctor let go of Sarah’s hand to walk over to the couch and pick up his purple jacket. He returned to her, and put it around her shoulders. A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth as she put her arms through the sleeves and held it closed around her front, obviously taking comfort in wearing it.

 “Feeling a bit better, already,” Sarah said, wiping at her damp cheeks with a too-long sleeve. “But I’m up for wherever you want to take me, as long as we get there.”

 “You know the Tardis has been exceptionally good about taking us where I intend since I’ve returned to you. Probably the influence of the other Doctor.” The Doctor took the woman’s hand. “A nice quiet spot I know.”

 “You really don’t need to do this. I’ve been dealing with these types of nightmares on my own for a long time.”

 “Perhaps I don’t,” the Doctor shrugged. “But I want to. You don’t need to deal with them by yourself anymore.”

 Sarah smiled, and followed the man into the Tardis.

 It only took a moment, then they were stepping out onto the top of a hill of soft purple grass, a dark night sky overhead, illuminated by three moons. Sarah took a deep breath of clear and slightly cool air. “Feels relaxing,” she said after another deep breath.

 “Good.” The Doctor took Sarah’s elbow and led her partway down the hill for them to sit side-by-side on the grass. “Warm and comfortable enough?”

 Sarah snuggled close against the Timelord’s side, and folded her arms into the large sleeves. “Yes, thank you.”

 The Doctor put an arm over Sarah’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. They simply sat there in quiet, listening to the gentle nighttime sounds of this world and watching the stars above for a few minutes. Then the Doctor inquired, “How long since the last one of similar intensity? Must have been before I arrived?”

 “Yeah,” Sarah replied softly. “Maybe… a week or so before.” She tilted her face up to him. “Maybe you’ve been good at keeping them at bay.”

 “That would be a nice thought.”

 “They happened more often when you weren’t here.”

 The Doctor nodded, then said, “Unavoidable, really, with all the things you’ve seen and experienced, both with me and on your own.”

 “I suppose,” sighed Sarah, looking out over the landscape again. “Although… with all your mental capabilities… is there a way to-“

 “Dreams are how the brain sorts through thoughts and emotions in our sleep,” the Doctor cut off before she could fully ask the question. “It wouldn’t be fair or right to completely stop the unpleasant ones, despite good intentions. That would be far too intrusive.” He took a breath. “However, I am open to helping you ease them.”

 “I’ll settle for that,” Sarah replied after moment. She poked her hand through the sleeve opening to take the Doctor’s hand in his lap. “Do you have terrible nightmares like this?”

 “Occasionally, yes.”

 “What about?”

The Doctor hummed as he thought. His hand in hers tightened slightly. “The one that I’ve had most often is about Sutekh.”

 “Sutekh?” Sarah looked up to the man.

 “M-hm. And not about what he could’ve done if we hadn’t stopped him.”

 “He could’ve destroyed so much before anyone else could even attempt to stop him,” Sarah replied.

 “Yes, but my nightmares…” the Doctor’s voice softened. “He was in my mind, Sarah. The agony he inflicted on me in his anger at us blowing up his rocket… He was going to keep me there, his prisoner to entertain himself with until he grew bored of me. He threatened to shred my mind, and he easily could have done anything to me. He forced me to kneel at his feet, debase myself to him…” He took a shaky breath. “Then Scarman showed him that he had captured you, and when Sutekh gave the order to kill you, and I cried out to stop him… He went through my mind, seeing you, seeing us, and everything you mean to me.” He caressed Sarah’s cheek with one hand.  That hand trembled against her skin as a tear escaped his eye. “He… he would’ve had us both as his… his playthings.”

 “That’s what the nightmares are?” Sarah asked, her eyes watering at the quiet intensity of the man’s voice and shining blue eyes.

 The Doctor nodded. “I felt his power, knew no agony was beyond him inflicting on us. He could do anything to us, make us do anything he wanted.” He swallowed heavily. “If he hadn’t realized that I had the Tardis key and he could use that…”

 Sarah put her hand over the Doctor’s on her face to steady it. “Terrifying.” 

 “All this time later, and that’s the one that’s still most vivid, most common in my dark dreams.” The Timelord closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Sarah’s, almost as though he needed to convince himself of what was real.

 They broke apart a while later, when the Doctor was convinced that the horrific possibility of his nightmares couldn’t come true. They resettled in their original position, and he inquired, “What are yours about?”

 “I guess it’s only fair,” Sarah responded, taking the man’s hand and absentmindedly playing with the fingers. “For a while after we parted, they were about you. What troubles you could be in and what could happen to you without me with you. Then… I thought you had died, that that was why you hadn’t come back to me. The nightmares changed to a recurring one about Unit finding the Tardis, with you dead inside, and Alistair calling to tell me…” Her body shuddered. “And I went to see, and you were dead, nothing was bringing you back. Your mouth would never smile at me again, your eyes would never look into mine again…”

 The Doctor’s hold on Sarah tightened as he turned her head to face him. Like he had before, she needed to remember what was real, despite the overpowering emotions of recounting these nightmares.

 Looking into his blue eyes, alive and bright, brought Sarah back to reality. “That one faded when I met the future you in 2007, although I did wonder if that meant I would never see this you again.” She cleared her throat. “Then when I started letting teenagers into my life, I dreamed that I would lose them to the dangers I had involved them in.” A wince escaped through her lips. “I did lose one,” she added in a whisper.

 “Is that what the one that woke you tonight was about?”

 Sarah nodded, blinking away tears. “Losing them, and you.”

 “Oh, my Sarah Jane…” the Doctor whispered, fully wrapping his arms around her to hold her close.

 A few drops of tears dampened Sarah’s forehead from where the Doctor’s face was pressed to her temple, and she started to fully cry into his neck. Wrapped up in his jacket, and now his arms, with the intimate fears they had opened up about, all she could do was grip onto the front of his shirt and let the emotions flow out with the tears.

 After the tears had dried, they sat side-by-side again, until the Doctor heard Sarah’s breathing quiet and even out, and her body go slack against him. He looked down and took a moment to appreciate the sight of the woman he loved asleep in his jacket, illuminated by the triple moons.

 “Alright, back to bed for us,” the Doctor prompted. He positioned his arms around her back and under her knees, and lifted her as he got to his knees. She jostled awake when he got to his feet and started carrying her up the hill.

 Sarah quickly understood the situation, and put her arm around the Doctor’s back to better stabilize herself.

 Unfortunately, the Doctor did have to set Sarah back down on her bare feet in the Tardis, so that he could tell it to take them back home. She sleepily swayed, but stayed upright until they felt the Tardis land, and the Doctor swept her back into his arms to leave the ship.

 He didn’t put her down again until he could lay her on her side of the bed, not even bothering to take the too-big jacket off her in her half-awake state. He knew it also brought her emotional comfort, which they both still needed now.

 The Doctor closed the door and slid into bed behind Sarah. She immediately scooted in close until his front was flush against her back, no space at all between their bodies. He dipped his head until his nose was in her hair, and laid his arm over her middle. Her hands found his and lightly pressed it between them. Her breathing and muscles relaxed as she quickly fell into sleep again.

 In this protective position, the Doctor soon followed Sarah into a peaceful sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

 Sarah returned home from an interview, and entered the attic. She smiled and watched as the Doctor worked with Mr Smith on a consulting project. It gave her a little time to go through her thoughts involving the Timelord, one in particular that had been weighing on her since this morning.

 “Ah… I think we’ve got it, Mr Smith,” the Doctor said a few minutes later. “Send Professor Rivers the results.”

 “I am sure she will be pleased,” Mr Smith replied. “Good afternoon, Sarah Jane.”

 “What a nice one it is,” Sarah affirmed.

 The Doctor turned and strode to Sarah to greet her with a little kiss.

 “Didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” Sarah inquired.

 The Doctor shook his head. “We were only working on the theory for Celeste’s newest project. She was having trouble with energy capacity.”

 “And you two have fixed that for her?”

 Mr Smith answered, “It is highly likely she will find our results satisfactory.”

 “Confidence,” Sarah noted. “You haven’t had any requests from Unit for consulting services?”

 The Doctor shrugged. “I’ve set Mr Smith to delete any that looks like it’s from them, unless it’s marked as ‘world-threatening’ or anything like that.”

 “Unit has not directly contacted you, Doctor. It would appear they either do not know you’re their former scientific advisor, you’re under their radar, or they have enough scientific support internally.”

 “Perhaps all three,” the Doctor said to the Xylok. “Let’s keep the current protocol in case they change their minds.” He looked back to Sarah. “It’s a nice day out-“

 “How about a walk?” the two asked in unison.

 Sarah giggled as the Doctor responded, “Perfect.”

 “We’ll be back later, Mr Smith,” Sarah said with a wave to the screen.

 The Doctor took Sarah’s hand, the day nice enough to not bother with his jacket or scarf. Sarah did clear her throat and point down at his bare feet. He sheepishly grinned and retrieved his shoes from by the couch. Once he had them on, Sarah affectionately smoothed down the front of his unbuttoned blue-patterned vest before taking his hand.

 “Anywhere in mind, or just a random walkabout?” the Doctor asked as they stepped outside.

 “Hm… maybe to the park.”

 “Sounds like a plan.” The Doctor linked his arm through Sarah’s, and asked her about the interview she had done this morning.

 They stopped at the chip stand in the park’s parking lot for a snack, and took their food to a nice spot on the grass far enough away from any football and Frisbee players.

 Sarah got lost in her thoughts, a chip sticking halfway out of her mouth. An indignant squeak came from her mouth as she was startled when the Doctor’s mouth swooped down and bit off the exposed end of the chip. “Honestly, Doctor!” she responded. The grin of the man made her start laughing. “You have your own basket.”

 Rather cheekily, the Doctor picked one cheese-covered chip from his basket and popped it into his mouth. “You were looking too preoccupied to finish that one.”

 “Oh, you…” Sarah shook her head.

 “Penny for your thoughts? Or would it be a 50-pence for them now, adjusting for inflation?”

 Sarah took a long sip of her soda to give herself time to think. Did she really want to bring this up now? And how could she word it? “You’ve been here about… five months now?”

 “A little over, yes,” the Doctor affirmed.

 “And you’re happy here?”

 The Doctor’s brow raised in slight confusion. “Of course I am.”

 “I am, too,” Sarah added quickly before the Timelord could get the wrong idea. “When we were together before, this wasn’t a priority, and I guess it still isn’t, though it would be nice…”

 The Doctor didn’t ask what “this” was, knowing she would explain eventually.

 Sarah ate a few more chips and chuckled at a memory. “One time when we visited Unit, Harry teased me. ‘Still don’t have a ring, old girl?’” She let out a long breath and turned her body to the Doctor. Why couldn’t she just say it? “I… I got to call you my husband once, while we were travelling around Egypt. I would like to do that again, for real this time.”

 “Are you asking me to marry you?”

 “Y-yes, I suppose I am.” Sarah nervously looked down to the grass between them. “I know it probably doesn’t mean the same to you that it does for me, but-“

 The Doctor tilted Sarah’s face back up to look into her eyes as he said, “Yes.”

 “Yes?”

 “You’re right, in terms of cultural upbringing, it doesn’t hold the same meaning for me. But, I renounced Gallifrey’s culture a long time ago. You are my home.” He moved both hands up to hold Sarah’s face. “Yes.”

 They stared into each other’s eyes as wide smiles formed on their faces. Then Sarah pushed past the man’s hands to launch herself at him for a vigorous embrace and kiss, knocking him off-balance and down to his back.

 “Yes,” the Doctor whispered in her ear when their mouths separated.

 “Yes,” Sarah repeated, going in for another passionate kiss.

 ********

“See you later, Sanjay,” Luke said, giving the other young man a kiss on the cheek before refocusing back on his computer screen. The group of four gathered in the attic saw Sanjay pat K9’s head as he left.

 “Hold on, Rani,” Clyde smirked. “Lukejay might be tough competition in the cute young couple awards.”

 Rani rolled her eyes. “Just waiting on Maria and Alan, now.”

 Sarah looked to the Doctor, who was playing with his yellow yoyo. He looked so calm and unconcerned, though Sarah knew it was an act. Internally, he was just as excited as she was to tell their family the news.

 “What would be the purpose of such an award?” K9 inquired.

 “Give K9 a robot dog girl and he would win,” Clyde laughed.

 “Please, don’t,” Mr Smith responded. “One of him is enough.”

 “You’re right. Give him a Xylok supercomputer instead,” Clyde shot back with a wide grin.

 “This unit would disagree with that assessment,” K9 responded. 

 The prompt for Maria’s video call came up on Mr Smith’s screen, next to the image of Luke shaking his head in amusement. Sarah said to all the teasing, “Alright, that’s enough, boys.”

 “Hey, everyone,” Maria said with a wave as she and Alan appeared on the screen.

 “You called just in time,” Luke answered.

 “You haven’t missed anything,” Sarah replied with a smile.

 “Oh, good,” Maria responded.

 “You said you had big news?” Alan inquired.

 Everyone looked to Sarah and the Doctor. The Timelord had put his yoyo away and was now holding Sarah’s hand. The pair glanced to each other, unable to help the grins as they looked back to everyone else. “We’re engaged!” Sarah voice went high in her excitement.

 “We’re engaged,” the Doctor repeated before the chorus of congratulatory statements began in earnest.

 “When did this happen?” Luke asked when everyone had quieted down.

 “A few hours ago,” the Doctor answered.

 “Who proposed?” Clyde asked.

 “I bet Sarah Jane did,” Maria grinned.

 “Got it in one, Maria,” Sarah nodded.

 “So, where’d you propose?” Rani inquired. “Was it romantic?”

 “Not really,” Sarah chuckled. “Unless you count sitting in a park eating a basket of chips romantic.”

 Clyde shrugged. “Romantic enough to me.”

 “I guess this means I have no chance, huh?” Alan teased.

 Maria laughed and swatted her dad on the shoulder. “Shut up, Dad. You never had a chance.”

 “Are you assuming I meant only a chance with Sarah Jane?”

 Sarah broke down laughing at Maria’s expression and cry of “Dad!” The Doctor responded in light-heartedness, “You’re a good man, Alan, but…”

 “Never had a chance with him, either, mate,” Clyde finished. “You haven’t been here in person more than a week to see how adorable these two are. They’d win the cute older couple award, no problem.”

 “I do not see the purpose in that award, either,” K9 said. “But, the Master and Mistress would be top contenders.”

 “No harm in asking,” Alan shrugged. “Seriously, though, you two are wonderful together. I’m happy for you.”

 “You have any wine or anything, Sarah Jane?” Rani asked.

 Sarah looked confused. “For what?”

 “This calls for a bit of celebration, don’t you think?” Rani clarified.

 “Yeah, and if you don’t have anything or enough, I’ll run to the shop,” Clyde agreed.

 “I do love a good knees-up,” the Doctor nodded.

 Luke said, “I have something to drink here to join in the party remotely.”

 “So do we,” said Maria.

 “I assume you’ll want some music?” Mr Smith conjected.

 “What a family I have,” Sarah softly said to herself. She wasn’t prepared for the Doctor grabbing her and dipping her into a kiss, and clutched at his elbow to stop herself from falling, before their lips met.

 Clyde and Rani went downstairs to check the pantry and fridge. Luke smiled at Sarah and the Doctor. “Took you long enough, Mum, Dad.”


End file.
